Harvey St, Darwin City: Developer proposes nine-storey, 96-unit residential block at CBD edge
In the midst of a long-running downturn in high-density residential construction in the Top End, a company has put forward a proposal for a 96-unit development on the edge of the CBD.
Business
Don't miss out on the headlines from Business. Followed categories will be added to My News.
In the midst of a long-running downturn in high-density residential construction in the Top End, a company has put forward a proposal for a 96-unit development on the edge of the CBD.
Developer Winged Victory Nos Pty Ltd recently lodged an application with the Development Consent Authority to erect a nine-storey, 96-unit resdential building on vacant land at 20 Harvey St, Darwin City.
The development, to be known as Rhapsody Apartments, would feature 24 two-bedroom and 72 one-bedroom apartment, each with a full-width balcony.
Two-and-a-half of its storeys would be taken up by above-grade covered car parking, with capacity for 106 vehicles.
According to a report submitted in support of the application, by planner Atelier Mark Bell, the proposal’s nature is “to provide affordability without compromising on the design”.
Atelier Mark Bell expressed hope Harvey St would one day emerge as its own unique CBD precinct, although the locale is also bedevilled by antisocial behaviour.
“The availability of more affordable land in comparison to other areas around town has the potential to make this part of the city fringe its own unique precinct as the older-style buildings get redeveloped,” Atelier Mark Bell said in its report.
Rhapsody Apartments is the second such high-density proposal put forward by developers in recent weeks, the other being an eight-storey, 11-unit tower at 150 Smith St, Larrakeyah, by proponent SR Developments Pty Ltd.
In recent years, Darwin has gone through a protracted inner-city apartment drought, with the Athanasiou Group of Companies’ 10-storey, $12m LUXE boutique apartments at 35 McMinn St, Darwin City the only development to break ground in the past seven years.
Urban Development Institute of Australia Northern Territory CEO Drew Wagner told this masthead apartments had become uneconomical to develop in the current environment of high inflation and interest rates, combined with tumbling median sale prices in the NT.
“The cost of building, and complete lack of incentives for units is palpable – especially when trying to meet affordable or social housing requirements,” he said.
“The average cost of a unit build is still over $7000 per sqm – therefore a 100 sqm unit is nearly three quarters of a million dollars.”
Mr Wagner said the new government’s priorities should be incentivising and encouraging infill development (rather than greenfield residential sites), reinvigorating and activating the CBD and inner suburbs, and enabling community development in underutilised areas.
In a recent discussion paper to inform its future Strategic Directions Planning Policy, the NT Planning Commission said it was in the government’s interest to support greater medium and high-density housing.
More dense housing in and around activity centres would boost consumer choice, increase critical mass to support surrounding businesses, and allow the government to save on developing new infrastructure, the commission stated.
In a statement, Housing Construction Minister Bill Yan said the government’s HomeGrown Territory Grants scheme of up to $50,000 for first-home buyers to put towards building or buying their first home, including high-density living, was achieving its goal of stimulating demand.
“Already, the program’s success speaks for itself,” he said.
“Since launching the grants program, there has been 75 applications drafted, submitted, or approved across the Territory.
“This means more people laying down roots and staying for the long term, and millions of dollars into our economy.”
Katherine’s civic centre set for $5 million makeover
Since it was opened more than 40 years ago, Katherine’s Civic Centre has undergone minimal maintenance. Now the centre is set to receive a $5m makeover.
Call for inquiry into $60m paid through Indigenous scheme
A Territory politician has called for a full parliamentary inquiry into what has been claimed to be the NT’s largest known fraud scandal, after investigations were quietly dropped two years ago.